Pastelería Salamat: the little Syrian bakery in Lavapiés
Owned by a Syrian baker called Jihad, Pastelería Salamat has the best selection of baklava I've found in Madrid – and some amazing Syrian flatbread too.
Mercado de la Cebada: the 138-year-old Madrid market that stays true to its roots
Mercado de la Cebada has been through some ups and downs over the last couple of centuries, but what didn’t kill it made it adapt.
Ajenjo Café: Malasaña’s best kept secret
The dust may have settled in Ajenjo Café but, with nearly 40 years under its belt, the place has developed a ghostly charm that fills your head with visions of its heyday.
Is tinned food really better than the fresh stuff?
The tinned food craze is sweeping the hipster capitals of the world but Spain has long been aware of the treasure inside these little tins.
The Lavapiés sweets and spices shops
Wander around Lavapiés' maze of connected high streets and find dozens of Asian spice stores firmly grounded. Gentrification is going to need to work hard to push these neighbours out.
Mercado de la Cebada’s no-frills seafood party
Every Saturday, all of the seafood stalls group together and transform the mercado's aisles into electric avenues of seafood bars.
Bar El Boqueron: the last marisquería in Lavapiés
In the candy-coloured streets of this multicultural barrio lies a traditional Madrid institution serving up some of the best seafood around. It's the last marisquería in Lavapiés but step inside, back to 1949.